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Addressing pressing health concerns, modern medical research seeks to identify new antimicrobials to combat drug resistance, novel molecules for cancer treatment, and antioxidants for inflammation-related diseases. Pisolithus (Basidiomycota) is a ubiquitous and widely distributed fungal genus in forest ecosystems, known for establishing ectomycorrhizal associations with a range of host plants, enhancing their growth, and conferring protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. Beyond ecological applications, Pisolithus yields bioactive compounds with medicinal potential. This comprehensive review explores the transversal biological activity of Pisolithus fungi, aiming to provide a thorough overview of their antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant potential. The focus is on elucidating bioactive compounds within Pisolithus to trigger further research for innovative applications. Compounds from Pisolithus displayed antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of microorganisms, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The efficacy of Pisolithus-derived compounds matched established medications, emphasizing their therapeutic potential. In anticancer research, the triterpene pisosterol stood out with documented cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines, showcasing promise for novel anticancer therapies. Pisolithus was also recognized as a potential source of antioxidants, with basidiocarps exhibiting high antioxidant activity. In vivo validation and comprehensive studies on a broader range of compounds, together with mechanistic insights into the mode of action of Pisolithus-derived compounds, are compelling areas for future research.

Although arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are known to promote growth and yield of agricultural crops, inoculation methods for effective scaling up from greenhouse to the field are still underexplored. The application of single or mixed beneficial AM fungal isolates is hindered by the lack of experimental reproducibility of findings at different scales and the cost-effectivity of inoculation methods. Seed coating has been considered a feasible delivery system of AM fungal inocula for agricultural crops. In this study, the impact of single and multiple AM fungal isolates applied via seed coating on chickpea productivity was evaluated under greenhouse and field conditions. Overall, plants inoculated with multiple AM fungal isolates had better performance than those inoculated with single AM isolate under greenhouse and field conditions. While plants in greenhouse displayed higher shoot dry weight (14%) and seed individual weight (21%), in field, inoculation with multiple AM isolates increased pod (160%), and seed (148%) numbers, and grain yield (140%). Under field conditions, mycorrhizal root colonization was significantly higher in chickpea plants inoculated with multiple AM fungal isolates compared to other treatments. These findings highlight the potential of field-inoculation with multiple AM fungal isolates via seed coating as a sustainable agricultural practice for chickpea production.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is an important legume grown primarily in semi-arid area. Its production is generally inhibited by various abiotic and biotic stresses. The use of beneficial microorganisms (e.g., plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)) can enhance agricultural production, as these microorganisms can improve soil fertility and plant tolerance to environmental stresses, thus enhancing crop yield in an eco-friendly manner. Application of PGPB and AMF in large scale agriculture needs to be improved. Thus, the use of seed coating could be an efficient mechanism for placement of inocula into soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis BEG140 and the PGPB Pseudomonas libanensis TR1 alone or in combination on the biomass and physiological traits of cowpea. Four treatments were set: (i) non-inoculated control; (ii) PGPB; (iii) AMF applied via seed coating; and (iv) PGPB + AMF applied via seed coating. Cowpea plants inoculated via seed coating with R. irregularis and those inoculated with R. irregularis + P. libanensis showed root mycorrhizal colonization of 21.7% and 24.2%, respectively. PGPB P. libanensis was efficient in enhancing plant biomass and seed yield. There was no benefit of single (AMF) or dual (PGPB + AMF) inoculation on plant growth or seed yield. The application of beneficial soil microorganisms can be a viable approach for sustainable cowpea production in precision agriculture scenarios.